Christmas Memories
by Living in a fantasy
Summary: Christmas…it has a different meaning to both Mello and Matt, but they find through the years that the best Christmases they’ve ever experienced have been together.


AN: Alright, this is NOT the Christmas fic I have been talking about. I wrote this is a Christmas gift for my friend Crystal (Fanaticfics) and mailed it to her. She has it now, and while I have worked a bit on my new Christmas oneshot…well it is finals week. I've been busy writing papers and speeches and studying, so in the meantime, just in case I can't get my new fic done by Christmas, I have this for you guys. Hope you all still enjoy it, the other one may come in the next week or so. Wow Christmas is a week away, crazy. Enjoy!

/…/…/…/

Christmas in the Keehl household was not a commercial affair. There were no tacky decorations scattered across the lawn. There were no plastic Santa's or flashing lights to proclaim it was the holiday season. Elegant strands of holly were strung throughout the house. There was a tree decorated with white lights and bulb ornaments with an angel on top. It was Christmas Eve and pure white candles were lit throughout the house. The Keehl family was gathered around the dinner table, heads bent in prayer. They finished with a simple amen and food was distributed.

For six year old Mihael Keehl, Christmas was the best time of the year. Everything was so peaceful. There was good food and pleasant conversation. After dinner his father read a passage from the Bible. Mihael sat on the couch, listening intently. He loved when his father read from the Bible. It was comforting and reassuring; a piece of home.

Soon it was time for their annual naivety film. It told the tale of Jesus' birth on Christmas. Of course Mihael knew that Jesus wasn't _really_ born on Christmas, but it was a good day to celebrate. He was half asleep by the time the movie ended and his father carried him to bed and tucked him in. Mihael was asleep in seconds.

Mihael woke up the next morning to a delicious breakfast and several presents. He played in the snow and then went to church, returning home for another excellent dinner. It was a Merry Christmas indeed.

/…/…/…/

Mail Jeevas ate his sandwich quietly, not making eye contact with his mother or father. They were arguing again, and he didn't want to get involved in it.

His father let out a string of curse words and stood abruptly, flipping the table in his anger. His parent's food and drinks fell to the ground, plates crashing to the ground and shattering and drinks spilling on the carpet. Mail lost his plate and drink but luckily had been holding his sandwich. He was just finishing it when his father suddenly rounded on him. "You! Look at the mess you made!" he shouted, gesturing wildly at the juice on the floor.

Mail gulped nervously. "But…I didn't…" the five year old said, trailing off.

"You're just like your mother! You blame everything on me!" He stalked towards Mail, grabbing him roughly by the arm and dragging him from his seat. Mail tried to shrink back but his father held him in place, shaking him. "You're lucky I put up with you, you little brat!" He shoved him backwards and Mail fell hard, letting out a small cry when he landed on the fallen table. "Clean this fucking mess up then get in your room," he growled, snatching a beer from the fridge and leaving the room. His mother stood and left, not sparing him a glance.

Mail held back his tears as he cleaned up the fallen food and dishes. It was hard for him to set the table right but he managed it eventually. He wiped up the drinks with napkins as best as he could then quickly went to his room and curled up in bed. No longer able to suppress his tears, he buried his face in his pillow, trying to stay quiet. He cried for a while before finally, blissfully, falling asleep.

On Christmas morning Mail was dragged from his bed. His father screamed at him for staining the carpet with his juice and forced him to scrub it for nearly two hours. When he had gotten as much as the stain out that he could he was sent to his room, not allowed to eat for the entire day.

It was not a very Merry Christmas.

/…/…/…/

"Matt wake up!" Matt groaned and rolled away from the blond, curling into his blankets. Mello simply crawled on the bed, successfully trapping Matt between himself and the wall. He began poking his shoulder insistently. "Come on Matt! It's Christmas eve morning!"

"So?" he mumbled, half-heartedly trying to push the blond away. The eight year old had known Mello for almost a year now though, so resigned himself to the fact that he would be getting up. He blinked up at Mello blearily.

"What do you mean so?" Mello asked indignantly. "It's Christmas! You have to get up! There's tons to do!"

"Like what?" Matt asked, finally sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He yawned, leaning on Mello's shoulder to keep himself vertical.

"Well after breakfast we can help decorate the tree; we always wait until Christmas Eve. You wouldn't know since this is your first Christmas here but in the afternoon we can go into town and then there's a feast. Tomorrow morning we get out presents and then we can go to mass or hang out here until the feast. Near has no friends so I got more gifts than him last year." He chuckled slightly evilly, but Matt had frozen at the word presents.

"Presents?" he asked hesitantly. He didn't want to be the only loser who got nothing.

"Yeah. Near only ever gets the one from the orphanage."

"From the orphanage?" Matt questioned.

"Yes," Mello said impatiently. "Did you go retarded overnight or something?"

"So…everyone gets one? Even me?" he asked softly.

Mello looked confused. "Of course you get one. Why wouldn't you?" Matt said nothing. "Matt?" The redhead shrugged, not meeting Mello's eyes. Mello watched him, waiting for a response.

"We didn't celebrate Christmas at my house," Matt mumbled. Mello's eyes filled with understanding. Matt had never given him the full details on his home life but he knew enough to understand what he meant.

Mello strove to make the rest of the day good for him. They decorated together then went to town, separating only when finding each other gifts. Roger had agreed to lend Mello extra money so Matt could have a nice gift, since the man knew of Matt's previous living situation. After the feast Mello played video games with Matt for two full hours (a true sign he cared) before they went to bed.

The next morning Mello led Matt to the common room. He could tell Matt was trying to hide his excitement. Matt's face positively lit up when he was given three presents. It made Mello happy but sad at the same time.

Mello watched as Matt opened up a Nintendo 64 and a Zelda game from the orphanage. Matt took care opening the gift from Mello, and seeing the Gameboy game he leaned over and gave Mello a quick hug. Mello allowed it even though people were watching.

And when Mello opened his gift from Matt, a rather expensive brand of chocolate that Roger refused to buy him on a regular basis, he leaned in and hugged him too.

It was a very Merry Christmas.

/…/…/…/

Mello took a bite of his chocolate with a loud snap, gazing around him empty apartment. It was 9 PM on Christmas Eve but you couldn't tell by looking around. Not a single inclination of the holiday was present in the apartment.

It was times such as this…Christmas, birthdays, when Mello really regretted leaving his best friend. He hated to admit it but he was lonely. He missed the mashing of buttons. He missed Matt's voice, suppressing laughter as he teased him. He missed his eyes, so easy to read when not blocked b his goggles.

Matt…he missed his Matt, who was probably sitting alone in his apartment just like him (if, as he suspected, Matt had already left Wammy's).

The thought of Matt alone and abandoned upset him. He hated it. He hated feeling so guilty. It was a time of happiness in the world but both of them were alone.

Mello almost wanted to cry.

But you didn't cry when you were in the Mafia.

/…/…/…/

Matt sat, cigarette perched absently between his lips as he played a game. It was nine on Christmas Eve and he sighed, not wanting to think about the holiday season. It wasn't much fun when you were alone.

Fuck Mello. Fuck him for leaving him. Fuck him for not calling or contacting him in some way. Fuck him for his obsession with beating Near. Fuck him to the fucking most isolated corner of the world where he would spend the most miserable Christmas of his life!

No…Mello loved Christmas. He was always so happy during the Christmas season. No, Matt didn't want Mello to be miserable. Wherever he was he hoped he was happy.

That was love wasn't it…to hope Mello was happy when he was so miserable?

Matt sighed again, turning off his game and moving into his room. He walked toward his closet, rummaging through it until he had found the game Mello bought him years ago. He smiled sadly, turning it on and watching the title screen.

God he fucking missed Mello.

He knew Mello would call him weak but he didn't care. He wasn't too much of a man to cry about this.

/…/…/…/

Matt came to slowly as he felt soft lips against his own, coaxing him awake. He felt a hand stroke his cheek and he slowly opened his eyes. He was greeted with Mello's cerulean eyes, sparkling with warmth. A curtain of golden hair fell forward, blocking his view of Mello's gorgeous face before Matt reached up and brushed his hair behind his ear. Mello smiled, leaning down to capture Matt's lips with his own. "Morning baby," Mello murmured, pulling back a moment before pressing another kiss to Matt's lips.

"Merry Christmas Eve," Matt replied.

Mello's smile widened and he rolled off the bed, dragging Matt up with him. "Shower, I'm making breakfast."

When Mello stopped him, indicating there was mistletoe, Matt knew it would be a great Christmas.

They found a Christmas station that afternoon and sang carols, generally making fools of themselves but not caring since no one was around but them. They had already decorated so Matt decided to bake gingerbread cookies before Mello started dinner.

"It's not as complicated as I thought it would be," Matt told Mello as he put them in the oven. Mello hummed in agreement, busy starting their dinner. His sleeves were rolled up and his hair was pulled back, several strands coming loose to hang in his face, which was drawn with concentration. "You're hot when you cook," Matt informed him, leaning against the counter.

"You just want me for my culinary abilities," Mello said, not looking up.

"That's half of it," Matt confirmed. "But pounding me into the mattress is the other half."

"Lovely," Mello muttered.

"Or in the shower," Matt continued. "Or on the table, the counter, against the wall, at the grocery store-"

"That was one time!" Mello interrupted. "And it was your fault!"

"How so?" Matt asked innocently.

"You stuck your hands down my pants in the canned goods aisle!" the blond screeched.

"It was turning me on. The bananas were in the aisle over and we had just left the meat section with all that sausage and those canned peaches were advertising 'pleasurable juices.' I couldn't control myself!"

"Good Lord," Mello mumbled, washing his hands.

"It's okay though," Matt said, moving behind Mello and setting his chin on his shoulder. "It was fun."

"Yeah, yeah."

Once the cookies came out the turkey went in and the duo lounged on the couch watching a Christmas movie. After dinner they continued watching movies until they fell asleep curled up on the couch.

Matt woke on Christmas morning to soft lips on his forehead. They ate a small breakfast of cinnamon toast then exchanged gifts. Although it was just the two of them it was wonderful. They were in love and didn't need a big family with tons of traditions to enjoy Christmas. They were together and that was what counted.

It really made it the Merriest Christmas of all.


End file.
